G'day,
I was on this forum, and another - but I can't remember which, several years ago. Not long after that I separated from my wife (ex-wife now). Due to that stress, job changes and being a single dad, it's been a very loooong time since I've been active on here (my username was the same, or very similar, but I couldn't remember my password, hahaha). I even locked horns with Eon at one time (sorry Eon!).
I'm Trevor (or Trev). I have a ZH Fairlane (that I call Lois, hahaha), that I started to modify around 18 years ago(!) and has developed into an extremely long term project (much to my constant annoyance). My 11 year old daughter said recently "are you ever going to get that car going?" I thought about that comment for a while, and i realised it is entirely likely that she would have absolutely no memories of the Fairlane in ANY other condition to how it sits at THIS very moment! I plan to get back into it soon, I hope!!!!!
Some details about my Fairlane:
'77 ZH Fairlane Marquis, converted into a two door convertible (half done). I bought a complete, but extremely rusty, XA coupe to obtain ALL the required two door dedicated parts. Some people are going to want to crucify me about this, but remember that was before the coupes started to command the prices they do now, and it it was easily the rustiest coupe I, personally, have EVER seen. As an example of this, the doors were absolutely unusable. I took everything out of what remained of the door shells and installed the parts in a pair of XC panel van doors (which gave me the correct door handles etc. anyway). Some cowboy had started to bog and prime the coupe before I bought it. If that car had been completed, and was ever in any kind of accident it would have literally exploded (bog & rust NOT fire & smoke!) and been ripped in half. Pity help anyone unlucky enough to have been riding in that coupe if that had happened! Apart from the coupe doors, my Fairlane has the forward part of the coupe's inner rear quarters (with wind up coupe side windows), coupe windscreen frame & A pillars, TC/TD Cortina rear door skins grafted onto the front of the Fairlane rear quarters (filling the gap where the rear doors were), and it will have the coupe door scuff plates etc.
My Marquis was born with a 351C, FMX and a disc brake 2.75 nine inch. It was Copper Bronze in colour with a beige (parchment?) vinyl top. The drivers seat electrics weren't working properly and it was stuck in a fairly high, raised position (which would have been difficult for a driver to get in and out of). To get around this, a previous owner had installed a tiny sports steering wheel ("why do low riders have such small steering wheels? So they can still drive while wearing handcuffs!" -Cheech & Chong). The electric window switches were also problematic. Other than that the car drove well (except the stupid Mallory distributor with no vacuum advance!), and I did so for around three years. When I tied to sell it, I knew it was a reasonably good car, with all the good parts & I couldn't just "give" it away (some of the offers I had were a bloody insult!). Anyway, after a beer or two with friends, I jokingly said "if I can't sell it, I'll build a convertible out of it" Oops....the seed was sown!
Originally I was going to build the Fairlane with the 351 etc. it was born with, but as time went by I've accumulated, among other things, these parts:
-Ford 400 that I'm building into a stout street (NOT race) motor. I have created a triple two barrel manifold out of a two barrel manifold and it will run on straight LPG, AFD 2V heads, Comp Cams XE274H, 1.8 Comp rockers and valve train.
-GM 700R4 transmission. Hey, they might ban me from this site for swearing!!! Seriously though, these autos are cheap, plentiful, have good ratios and can be built tough and I don't like the Ford AOD trans. It will have a "shift kit" etc. and most likely a 2200 rpm stall (or thereabouts) torque converter.
-Nine inch diff with a "Lock Right" kit (works similarly to a Detroit Locker) and 3.7 gears (though I'm not sure if they are too low for this application).
- Magnum 500 wheels, 15x8 and 15x10.
-Boss 429 Mustang bonnet scoop.
-Will have a paint job similar, but not the same, as XA GT's. It'll be a red and black colour, but I haven't fully decided on the exact shade of red; Pepper Red, Brambles Red, Vixen, or the old favorite Vermillion Fire!
Over the years I've been making things, collecting parts, or just waiting to get back into it, many people have said "Why are you doing this? Why don't you just buy something already done?" The answer is simple - because I WANT to do it. I WANT to build something different, and I absolutely dont care what any other person's opinion is. If they say this is a waste of time, I think the person saying that has a lack of imagination, and probably lacks the skill to carry it out themselves, and as a consequence, they will try to put down others who don't "think" as they do. When I was younger I used to own a Falcon Cobra (number 205), I wish I still had that car! I want the same feeling that car used to give me - having something unique and special.
Thanks for reading this (long!) introduction.
Regards.
Trev.

Last edited by R.S.LOGAN; 12-14-2013 at 09:10.
Reason: Post moved .Previous section only for introduction of members

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